


the winter festival

by alexanderendrone



Series: my quacknobros fics [6]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Suicidal Thoughts, the human rights violation committee are incredibly important to me, theyre pretty mild but just in case yknow!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:53:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28518936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexanderendrone/pseuds/alexanderendrone
Summary: It was a nice festival but the execution could use a little work.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Sam | Awesamdude, Alexis | Quackity & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: my quacknobros fics [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2176197
Comments: 12
Kudos: 205





	the winter festival

It was a festival and it was an execution because what's a festival without a little politically charged murder.

If history was going to repeat itself Quackity may as well help it along.

Ranboo stood hunched in front of him, wrists tied behind his back, expression resilient and strong. So calm for a kid facing his imminent demise. Ranboo leaned down of his own accord, forcing eye contact at an equal level.

_Equals_.

They weren't equals. Ranboo was a traitor and Quackity had an axe and they were not the same.

He shoved Ranboo down, landing him on his back, axe held high over his head. He straightened his back as he stared down at Ranboo.

"I know what you were doing. I know you're working with Technoblade." Quackity hissed between gritted teeth. Ranboo's expression cracked, fear leaking through at the raised axe. 

Quackity focused on his chest, on his _heart_ , instead of looking into mismatched eyes. 

Ranboo would respawn. Quackity would not.

"Listen, Quackity-" Ranboo started, stuttering slightly.

"Quackity, don't do this." Tubbo interrupted, hand outstretched towards Quackity's raised arms. "You're not Schlatt, don't act like him." 

Quackity jerked slightly, static filling his ears. He _wasn't_ like _fucking Schlatt_. 

He snorted.

"You're right." He tilted his head slightly, looking to Tubbo, shoulders relaxing slightly.

He snapped his attention back to Ranboo, making eye contact as he spoke again.

" _Schlatt_ pawned off the dirty work to others. So, you're right. I'm not like him." He brought the axe down hard, and axe met wood. 

He'd _missed_.

He blinked, looking up, having reflexively closed his eyes. 

_Philza._

_Of fucking course_. 

"Philza, get out of the way." He dug his heel into the ground, stumbling slightly as he pulled the axe out. He hadn't thought he'd swung that hard.

Philza stood still, clipped wings flared out in front of Ranboo, the enderman hybrid sprawled on the ground from where Philza had knocked him to the side.

Philza looked... Different. 

The normal Philza was relatively laid back, posture lax and expression calm. 

Now, though, wings raised high in defense and face closed off and cold... 

It was easy to see why people feared the Angel of Death and the Antarctic Empire's co-leader. 

He had a sword gripped tightly in hand, and was looking Quackity over. Sizing him up, analytical in every movement. 

Without thinking Quackity rushed forward, swinging wildly. His axe was easily caught and deflected away, sending him stumbling to the left. 

Apparently, good balance was important and throwing your body weight forward _wasn't_ the best strategy. Philza sent him careening to the ground like he was nothing.

He flipped around quickly, wings flaring slightly as he scrambled back, dragging the axe with him. Philza stood over him, looking vaguely amused. 

Quackity quickly got to his feet, face flushed from being knocked over, _brushed aside_ , so easily. 

He had a clear shot towards Ranboo, and he lunged, _again_ , because he _doesn't fucking learn, huh?_

Quackity wasn't entirely sure what happened, vision swimming from the abrupt movement, as he landed on his ass again. Philza stood between him and Ranboo, frowning down at him.

"Your quarrel is with me and Technoblade, Quackity, not Ranboo." He said, voice sharp and just on the edge of irritated. "Ranboo's just a kid, he has nothing to do with this." 

Quackity blinked up at him, heartbeat loud in his ears. Normally, talking came easy, one of the few things he was good at. But now the words stuck behind his teeth, acidic on his tongue.

He was still crouched on the ground, Philza standing in his way. Philza had been a problem before, refusing to say where Technoblade lived, and openly opposing them. 

Philza was a _threat_. 

Philza's brow furrowed at the blank look on Quackity's face, stance relaxing slightly.

"I didn't hit you _that_ hard, did I? Are you-" He didn't get to finish his sentence, blunt side of the axe catching him across the jaw in a, frankly, _really fucking lucky_ shot. 

Philza hit the ground hard.

He ignored the shouts from Ranboo, Tubbo, the faceless mass of people in front of the stage, and raised the axe again.

_Threats_ needed to be _taken care of_.

Before he could swing, something sharp and curved caught him across the neck from behind. It ripped him backwards, throwing him to the ground like he was nothing. 

He gasped roughly, wind knocked out of him and throat aching from the pressure. He blinked rapidly, vision clearing to-

_Technoblade_.

Huh. He looked weirdly calm. Their last fight had been a flurry of thrown words and snarls, but Techno looked... Indifferent, now.

Quackity decided he _hated_ that look.

He started to sit up, desperate to get to his feet again, but a sharp kick to his chest stopped him. 

He wheezed again as he lost his breath, head connecting harshly with the ground. He felt the taste of copper fill his mouth from where he'd bit his tongue. 

There was a jeer from the crowd, faces blurring together, and he was reminded of another time with blood on his tongue and tears in his eyes. 

He wanted to _fight_ , and scream and curse and _do something_. He pulled in another desperate breath, stifled by the boot crushing his chest. He'd felt a definitive _crunch_ from the stomp, and it was getting harder to breathe.

He _should_ fight.

Or.

Or, he could give up here. Let go. Technoblade wasn't all bad, Quackity knew. He was a threat to the government but he wasn't a threat to the people. 

Well. 

You know what he meant.

He wondered then, if he'd disappear like Schlatt or be cursed to wander forever like Ghostbur. 

And it would be a curse, wouldn't it? The universe's last kick while he was down.

He knew what he preferred. 

He knew what he _deserved_.

His blinks were lasting longer, eyes blurring. He could make out enough to see that Techno wasn't looking at him anymore, deep voice arguing with another voice. 

Techno's heel was steadily digging more and more into his chest, pressure becoming unbearable.

It was too hard to focus, a ringing in his ears steadily climbing in volume. 

Suddenly, the weight on his chest disappeared, Techno moving to squat next to him.

"Quackity? Quackity, can you hear me?" 

Quackity blinked, confused, because Techno's mouth wasn't moving, face still blank. 

He _hated_ his indifference. He remembered before when he'd snort at his stupid jokes, mock his messy wings and help him fix them. 

How did they end up like this? 

The voice chimed in again, Sam's cool hand coming to cup his cheek, carefully turning his head to face him.

The creeper hybrid looked so concerned, as he lifted a healing potion to his lips.

It would be so easy. To close his mouth, turn away. 

Die, here, with everyone watching. 

A bitter mockery of Schlatt's last moments, his enemies standing over him, his last friend at his side, and the release of death ahead of him.

He understood, now, why Wilbur had begged Philza to kill him, instead of facing the consequences.

But he wasn't Wilbur. 

He wasn't Schlatt.

He opened his mouth, and he drank.

**Author's Note:**

> do you like the summary--  
> anyhoo this has been in my files for a hot minute and i originally meant to post it when the winter festival was Supposed to be but i totally spaced smfh  
> im a bit hwuh about this one bc its less like. set up. a bit incoherent imo but im letting it free into the world  
> if this made you feel things check out my tumblr @letsfluxshitup where i posted a WIP of my marriage crackfic au :]


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